Update! Our clients can now text message pictures and scrolling text messages directly to their displays. This is in addition to being able to email content directly to the DS campaign.

So......

Text Slideshow and the attached picture becomes part of the screen division displaying pictures.

Text Background and the attached picture becomes the full screen background.

Text Scroll and then the remainder of the text message displays as a horizontal RSS feed across the top of the display.

The time from sending the text message to the time it is seen on the TV is about 4 minutes.

We can use any number of trigger words to send content to any number of screen divisions. There is no 3rd party software needed like Zapier or IFTTT. It all works through email and DS.

You can even set the number of items retained in a screen division so older content is pushed out by new content - keeps the message fresh with no need to delete anything. From 1 image to thousands - what ever works for your client.

I am still looking to work with another DS provider to see if we can push this feature out across a wider area. I can set up the service and send you the email / text address along with the google drive token and you can take it from there.

"This script forwards the email and removes all forwarding information. It is indispensable for those who use Zapier or IFTTT to create RSS feeds."

We now create the rss feed directly from the gmail. You no longer need to use any 3rd party software. There is no longer a limit as to how many times my clients can update their scrolling text message.

They put the word scroll in the subject line and simply type what they want to send to their TV.

(Some of us got burned when Zapier limited some of the features provided in their "Free" service so being able to do this is comforting.)

This is working for me locally - Small business owners like the simplicity and the set up is easy. It is selling and it is well received.

Update:

I am now working with a local small business that is repairing / refurbishing cell phones, PC'c, and flat screen TV's. We have a demo system up and running in his store. Visitors can send emails right from their phones and see it change on the TV.

We have launched this locally and it works. Gmail content to any screen division and control the number of items in that division - works from a single simple gmail.

I just set up the showroom display for a custom deck builder. He has a TV displaying his latest project. We gave it a gmail address and set the item count to 10. When he is done with his latest $30,000 deck he simply attaches the 10 best pictures of it to the gmail and sends it.

The old 10 go away and the new 10 display. All from one email.

I have also sold several as an alternative to the expensive and ugly signtronix type led scrolling displays. The top of the TV is the scroll and it can be updated by email.

I want to partner with someone to see if we can scale this up across a wider area.

I am in Missouri and have done this now in 12 local communities - We have even expanded into eastern Illinois.

I have created a few custom apps that greatly simplify the management of DS campaigns.

This is more than a collection of apps – it has fundamentally changed the way I sell and the way my clients perceive digital signage.

Program 1 – Forwards a Gmail to any other email address.

This script forwards the email and removes all forwarding information. It is indispensable for those who use Zapier or IFTTT to create RSS feeds. See update below!

You or your client can update a scrolling text message simply by sending an email. The scroll will be updated within minutes and can be changed as many as 100 times per month.

This application is PIN number protected so there are no authorized scrolls appearing on your clients TV’s

Program 2 – Sends any received Gmail attachments to a specific Google Drive Folder. This is also controlled by a PIN number.

This script additionally allows the maximum number of items retained in that folder to be set as a specification.

Examples:

An Email tagged “Background” will send the attached images to the google drive folder that contains your campaigns background image. If the maximum number of items in that folder is set to 1 then the new image just replaces the old image. This folder will always contain a single item.

An Email tagged “Slideshow” can send all the attached images in that email to the Drive folder that you choose. If the number of folder items is set to 10 then then newest items automatically replaces the oldest items. This folder will always contain the 10 newest items.

This script deletes the items permanently so the “trash” folder is always emptied.

There is no limit to the number of timelines and screen divisions that can be controlled by sending an email.

One copy of this app is need for each Google Drive Folder that you wish to control.

Program 3 – Send a Gmail attachment to a specific Drive file but these attachments will not be included in the maximum item count for that folder and do not auto delete. We call this “The Keepers”

All of these apps work from a SINGLE Simple Gmail account. One email address – simple as that

Once launched these tools work automatically in the background.

I wish to test these items with an established DS reseller who is very comfortable with the use of Google Drive Scenes.

I will provide best practices and every process step needed to implement these tools.

I tell a prospective client - “If you can send an email you already know how to do this” Simple as that.

I have over 3 years of development in the creation of these tools and processes.

I have reserved the intellectual property rights to these programs and have taken other steps to protect my efforts and ultimately wish to allow others to use these tools.

It should be possible to provide you a complete product, including your DS Drive Token, ready to connect to your Google Drive Scenes.

You will not have any new software to learn. If you can send an email you already know how to do this.

My goal is to determine the level of effort needed by me to set this up for someone else in the real world.

Currently I can incorporate these tools into an existing user’s campaign in an hour.

All I asked is that you agree to protect my efforts.

Give me your input and ask any questions that you may have.

Give me an idea what would be fair and what method would work best to charge for this service.

I wish I could just share it but it has been a long and expensive road to get to this point.

These tools will work on any Google Drive enabled Digital Signage Product.

Did that and Ron was incredible! Yes - it was confirmed that the common tab sliders do not work on a Drive based screen. There are 3 separate common tab sliders and none of them do anything in this situation.

If this could be fixed it would be appreciated.

His solution was to add a screen division over the google drive screen division - upload a solid black png to it and then use the common tab slider to control how opaque it is.

That worked but I have one remaining issue - Doing this actually creates a 5 second SWF so every 5 seconds the image on the screen flickers.

The google drive file has only one image in it and it has to be that way for what we are doing. Simply uploading a background item as a jpg is not an option.

The digital signage players do not read the picture orientation tag on drop box items. Even though they look correct in DB they can be sideways or even upside down when displayed as part of the signage presentations.

Support says to download the pic from dropbox / delete the pic from dropbox / use third party software to read the tag and rotate the picture / and then re-upload the pic back into dropbox. (Yuck)

Can we please make DS read the tag and display the pic correctly. This feature has been part of every picture viewer and OS system for over a decade now so I hope that it should not be difficult to make it work in DS.

I have over 100 accounts with nearly 700 users using dropbox to store content so this is not trivial.